Osteospermum plant named ‘Dueostmaorflar’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Dueostmaorflar’, characterized by its uniform and mounding plant habit; medium in size; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely and uniformly branching habit; freely and early flowering habit; large single-type inflorescences with greyed orange and yellow orange bi-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEOSTMAORFLAR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofOsteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueostmaorflar’.

The new Osteospermum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany and De Lier, TheNetherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop newvigorous Osteospermum plants that are freely and uniformly branchingwith numerous large inflorescences with unique and attractive ray anddisc floret coloration.

The new Osteospermum plant originated from a cross-pollination by theInventor of two unidentified proprietary selections of Osteospermumecklonis, not patented. The new Osteospermum plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin De Lier, The Netherlands in July, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum plant by terminalvegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier,The Netherlands since August, 2013 has shown that the unique features ofthis new Osteospermum plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Osteospermum have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueostmaorflar’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Dueostmaorflar’ as a new and distinctOsteospermum plant:

-   -   1. Uniform and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Medium in size, moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely and uniformly branching habit.    -   4. Freely and early flowering habit.    -   5. Large single-type inflorescences with greyed orange and        yellow orange bi-colored ray florets.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in plant and growth habit as plants of the newOsteospermum are denser, stronger and more vigorous than plants of thefemale parent selection.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in ray floret color as plants of the male parentselection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of theOsteospermum ecklonis ‘Fidostsu15’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons, plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plantsof ‘Fidostsu15’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum are more vigorous than plants        of ‘Fidostsu15’.    -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum have longer and thicker        lateral branches with shorter internodes than plants of        ‘Fidostsu15’.    -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum have larger inflorescences        than plants of ‘Fidostsu15’.    -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and ‘Fidostsu15’ differ in ray        floret color as ray florets of plants of ‘Fidostsu15’ are more        bronze in color.    -   5. Plants of the new Osteospermum have longer peduncles than        plants of ‘Fidostsu15’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Osteospermum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Osteospermum plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plantof ‘Dueostmaorflar’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown during the summer in 25-cm containers in aglass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Osteospermum production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 30° C.,night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. and light levelsaveraged 135 watt/m². Plants were eight weeks old when the photographwas taken and 25 weeks old when the description was taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 and 2007 Editions, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Dueostmaorflar’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Osteospermum ecklonis, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Osteospermum ecklonis, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 21 days at            temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 25 days at            temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 28 days at            temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically            grey white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent            on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizers,            substrate temperature and age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Uniform and mounding plant            habit; relatively short internodes, dense and bushy growth            habit; medium in size; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 39 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 82 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching            habit, about eight lateral branches developing per plant;            pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About            32 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Internode length: About 7 mm.            Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Close to 144C.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 6.8 cm. Width: About 3.3 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Dentate; sinuses divergent.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing            leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves,            lower surface: Close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 144B. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B to 137C;            venation, close to 144B. Petioles: Length: About 8 mm.            Diameter: About 0.6 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A to            144B. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance and aspect.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences;            inflorescences positioned beyond the foliar plane on strong            peduncles and face mostly upright to outwardly; single-type            inflorescence form with lanceolate-shaped ray florets and            tubular disc florets; ray and disc florets developing            acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 130            inflorescences developing per plant.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering response.—In Germany, plants of the new            Osteospermum flower continuously from spring until first            frost in the autumn; early flowering habit, plants begin            flowering about six weeks after planting.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about three            weeks on the plant; inflorescences not persistent.        -   Inflorescence buds, just prior to anthesis.—Height: About            2.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.4 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close            to 137B and 144C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.1 cm. Depth (height):            About 2 cm to 4 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 8 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.9 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.            Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Quantity per inflorescence and            arrangement: About 27 arranged in two whorls. Color: When            opening, upper surface: Towards the apex, close to N163A;            towards the base, close to 14A with thin stripes, close to            N163C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 165A. Fully            opened, upper surface: Towards the apex, close to N163B;            towards the base, close to 14A with thin stripes, close to            N163C; with development color towards the base becoming            closer to 12A with thin stripes, close to N163C. Fully            opened, lower surface: Close to 165A; color does not change            with development.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular with five pointed apices.            Length: About 5 mm. Diameter, at the apex: About 2 mm.            Diameter, at the base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets            per inflorescence: About 50. Color, immature and mature:            Towards the apex, close to 178A; mid-section, close to 1D;            towards the base, close to NN155B; mid-section becoming            closer to NN155B with development.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 19 arranged in one to two whorls. Length: About 9 mm.            Width: About 1.4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Apiculate.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Color, upper surface:            Close to 137B to 137C. Color, lower surface: Close to 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to outwardly            slanting. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther            color: Close to 79A to 79B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 23A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc            florets. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted.            Stigma color: Close to 79A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style            color: Close to 79A. Ovary color: Close to 144C.        -   Seeds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 199A.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Osteospermum plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been    observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind    and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named‘Dueostmaorflar’ as illustrated and described.